WEBVTT 00:00:11.170 --> 00:00:19.809 Friend, before we walk into the dust of this 00:00:19.809 --> 00:00:22.929 parable, let me ask you something. What if we've 00:00:22.929 --> 00:00:26.190 been told the story wrong? What if the parable 00:00:26.190 --> 00:00:28.190 that's been preached for years is a cheerful... 00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:31.320 Stewardship lesson is actually a dangerous critique 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:35.920 of empire. Most of us had heard it. Don't hide 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.740 your talent. Use what God gave you or lose it. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.659 But here's the problem. That tidy interpretation 00:00:42.659 --> 00:00:47.140 doesn't fit the Jesus we know. In fact, drags 00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:50.479 God's name through the dirt. Making him look 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.840 like a cruel master who reaps where he does not 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:59.119 sow. That's not our God. That's exploitation, 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:04.120 not grace. Jesus wants you to see the difference. 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:08.879 So lean in. Because this parable is not a pep 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:13.060 talk, it's a gut punch. It's Jesus exposing systems 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:15.920 of greed and showing what happens when someone 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.819 finally has the courage to say, no more. And 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:22.799 if you're listening right now and that kind of 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.959 gospel stirs something in you, if you've ever 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:28.579 felt the weight of a system that demanded more 00:01:28.579 --> 00:01:32.359 than you can give, then I want to invite you 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:36.959 to stay here with me. You're welcome. Don't just 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.359 listen. Help build the porch where grace still 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:44.200 gathers. Like, share, subscribe, drop a comment. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:47.810 Tell me what this story means to you. When you 00:01:47.810 --> 00:01:49.590 do, you're helping build a front porch on the 00:01:49.590 --> 00:01:52.670 internet where the weary can sit and breathe 00:01:52.670 --> 00:01:56.689 and remember Jesus again. So let's walk it together. 00:01:58.049 --> 00:02:06.590 I'll see you at the end of the road. Well, our 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:09.009 Sergeant of Arms, Wayne, has given me the thumbs 00:02:09.009 --> 00:02:12.849 up. And I decided last week that when Wayne says 00:02:12.849 --> 00:02:14.550 it's time to go, we're going to go ahead and 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:17.849 start. But I am going to just jump right in. 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:21.110 Again, parables, we're talking parables tonight, 00:02:21.310 --> 00:02:25.449 no different. So before we open this parable 00:02:25.449 --> 00:02:29.610 together, let me take a moment to tell you why 00:02:29.610 --> 00:02:36.110 this story matters so much and why it's so often 00:02:36.110 --> 00:02:40.210 misunderstood. This is one of those parables 00:02:40.210 --> 00:02:43.849 where the meaning feels slippery, even confusing. 00:02:45.229 --> 00:02:48.330 And we've all heard it preached this way. It 00:02:48.330 --> 00:02:52.689 goes like this. Don't hide your talents. God 00:02:52.689 --> 00:02:56.530 gave you gifts. So sing louder, work harder, 00:02:56.689 --> 00:03:01.069 use your abilities, or else God might take them 00:03:01.069 --> 00:03:04.830 away. Every single one of us has heard this story 00:03:04.830 --> 00:03:08.909 taught that way. Before I go on, let me also 00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:13.030 remind you about one very important aspect about 00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:16.930 parables. When Jesus is teaching a parable, he's 00:03:16.930 --> 00:03:22.069 only teaching one message at a time. That parable 00:03:22.069 --> 00:03:26.449 has one meaning. It is not open to interpretation. 00:03:26.789 --> 00:03:29.169 That's what makes it different than a story. 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:33.770 For you to have ears to hear, you have to hear 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:36.710 the point Jesus is trying to make, even if the 00:03:36.710 --> 00:03:39.650 story doesn't make sense to you any other way. 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:43.270 Okay, keep that in mind as I make my argument 00:03:43.270 --> 00:03:47.180 tonight. And what happens is if we look at it 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:49.199 that way, it becomes a stewardship pet talk, 00:03:49.340 --> 00:03:52.580 a sermon about productivity or volunteer hours 00:03:52.580 --> 00:03:56.000 or how much we need to be doing with what we've 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:03.539 been given. But that is not what Jesus is talking 00:04:03.539 --> 00:04:10.139 about here. Not at all. When you hear the word 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:13.960 talent, don't think. musical ability, athletic 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:18.120 skill, or personal strength. Jesus isn't giving 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:21.920 a motivational speech here. A talent wasn't a 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:28.839 gift. It was a crushing amount of money. 20 years 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:34.500 worth of wages. The kind of wealth only the rich 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:37.879 and the powerful ever actually get to touch. 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:40.939 And I wanted to kind of put it in modern context 00:04:40.939 --> 00:04:43.439 to you, what would a talent be like today? So 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.779 I went on the Google, and I looked up the average 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:49.980 salary for an American today, well, in 2023, 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:56.199 was $40 ,000 a year. $40 ,000 times 20 equals 00:04:56.199 --> 00:05:02.800 $800 ,000. Did I get that right? I hope so. So 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.579 the point here is that this parable is don't 00:05:05.579 --> 00:05:09.439 waste your gifts. No. The point here is actually 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:16.220 far heavier and far sharper because in this parable, 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:20.920 Jesus is exposing a system of exploitation and 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:26.060 he's showing us what it might cost us to refuse 00:05:26.060 --> 00:05:29.779 complicity. That's what makes this story both 00:05:29.779 --> 00:05:32.660 dangerous and liberating. So with that in mind, 00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:35.439 let's listen carefully to the parable itself. 00:05:36.269 --> 00:05:39.029 As always, before we begin, I want to read the 00:05:39.029 --> 00:05:42.029 whole scriptural passage so every single one 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:44.290 of us has the story right in the front of our 00:05:44.290 --> 00:05:47.889 minds. We've just heard it. So, open your ears 00:05:47.889 --> 00:05:50.490 as wide as your hearts. The word of God is about 00:05:50.490 --> 00:05:56.029 to walk among us. Matthew chapter 25, verses 00:05:56.029 --> 00:06:01.050 14 through 30. For it, when he says it, when 00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:03.329 he's saying for it, he's talking about the kingdom 00:06:03.329 --> 00:06:06.269 of God. for it will be like a man going on a 00:06:06.269 --> 00:06:08.850 journey who called his servants and entrusted 00:06:08.850 --> 00:06:13.110 them to his property. To one he gave five talents, 00:06:13.329 --> 00:06:18.110 to another two, to another one, to each according 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:22.209 to his own ability. Then he went away. He who 00:06:22.209 --> 00:06:24.769 had received the five talents went at once and 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:27.769 traded with them, and he made five talents more. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:33.220 So it was also the same who had two talents who 00:06:33.220 --> 00:06:36.800 went and made two talents more. But he who had 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:39.139 received the one talent went and dug it in the 00:06:39.139 --> 00:06:43.680 ground and hid his master's money. Now after 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.839 a long time, the master of those servants came 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:48.959 and settled accounts with them. And he who had 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.000 received the five talents came forward bringing 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.060 five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:57.639 to me five talents. Here, I have made five talents 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:01.230 more. His master said to him, well done, good 00:07:01.230 --> 00:07:03.389 and faithful servant. You've been faithful over 00:07:03.389 --> 00:07:06.750 a little. I will set you over much. Enter into 00:07:06.750 --> 00:07:12.050 the joy of your master. And he also had the one 00:07:12.050 --> 00:07:13.850 who had the two talents come forward saying, 00:07:13.930 --> 00:07:16.889 master, you delivered to me two talents here. 00:07:16.970 --> 00:07:21.009 I have two talents more. His master said to him, 00:07:21.050 --> 00:07:23.829 well done, good and faithful servant. You've 00:07:23.829 --> 00:07:26.490 been faithful over a little. I will set you over 00:07:26.490 --> 00:07:32.670 much. Enter into. Joy of your master. He also 00:07:32.670 --> 00:07:34.790 who had received the one talent came forward 00:07:34.790 --> 00:07:42.649 saying, Master, I knew you were a hard man, reaping 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:47.610 where you do not sow, gathering where you have 00:07:47.610 --> 00:07:53.089 scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went, 00:07:53.189 --> 00:07:57.220 and I hid your talent in the ground here. Have 00:07:57.220 --> 00:08:01.600 back what is yours. But his master answered him, 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:07.079 you wicked and slothful servant. You knew that 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.600 I reap where I have not sown and gather where 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.980 I have scattered no seed. Then you ought to have 00:08:12.980 --> 00:08:15.680 invested my money with the bankers. And at my 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.019 coming, I would have received what at least was 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:22.860 my own with interest. So take that talent from 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:26.519 him. Give it to him who has the tin. For to everyone 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:31.259 who has, more will be given, and he will have 00:08:31.259 --> 00:08:34.019 an abundance. But from the one who has not even 00:08:34.019 --> 00:08:38.539 what he has will be taken away and cast the worthless 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:41.919 servant into the outer darkness. And that place 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:46.559 will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Beloved, 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:49.539 that is the word of the Lord. May it find a home 00:08:49.539 --> 00:08:54.559 in our hearts. It's late in the day and the crowd. 00:08:54.990 --> 00:08:57.789 has grown restless, the sun sliding down, throwing 00:08:57.789 --> 00:09:01.830 long shadows across the Galilean hills. You've 00:09:01.830 --> 00:09:04.289 been on your feet for hours, maybe all day. Your 00:09:04.289 --> 00:09:08.309 sandals are worn with grit. Your stomach is empty. 00:09:08.429 --> 00:09:11.169 Here's this teacher again, this rabbi named Jesus, 00:09:11.309 --> 00:09:14.070 telling stories that don't sound like the stories 00:09:14.070 --> 00:09:18.399 that you grew up with in synagogue. You heard 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:20.799 about shepherds leaving their flocks of sheep, 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:22.940 about women sweeping for coins, about farmers 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:25.279 tossing seed in ridiculous places. And every 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:29.019 time he takes something ordinary, bread, lamps, 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:33.320 vines, fields, and he cracks it open until you 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:37.720 can see God in it. But this story he's about 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:41.679 to tell, it doesn't smell like the others. It 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:48.259 smells like money, big money, dirty money. And 00:09:48.259 --> 00:09:51.840 right away, the people in that crowd listening 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:56.139 to Jesus' words would have stiffened because 00:09:56.139 --> 00:10:00.799 everybody in that crowd knows where money like 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:06.740 that comes from. Jesus says, For it will be like 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:09.179 a man going on a journey who called his servants 00:10:09.179 --> 00:10:12.360 and entrusted to them his property, to one he 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:14.580 gave five talents, to another two, to another 00:10:14.580 --> 00:10:17.820 one, to each. According to his own ability, then 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:21.279 he went away. Five talents, two talents, one 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:27.100 talent, and the crowd gasps. Because a talent 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:30.220 isn't just a silver coin jingling in your pocket. 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:35.460 A talent is 20 years worth of wages for a laborer. 00:10:35.539 --> 00:10:40.440 It is a lifetime of sweat, palaces, broken backs. 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:44.580 One talent is more money than your life will 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:48.779 ever see in three generations. Again, the math. 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:54.620 Five talents is $4 million. Two is $1 .6 million, 00:10:54.700 --> 00:10:57.379 and then the other $800 ,000, right? So the amount 00:10:57.379 --> 00:10:59.019 of money that we're actually talking about on 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:01.220 the table here in real dollars and American dollars 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:06.940 today, $6 .5 million in total all at once. Jesus 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:10.539 isn't talking about birthday money. He's talking 00:11:10.539 --> 00:11:15.779 about landlord money, empire money, King Herod 00:11:15.779 --> 00:11:19.820 money. And the second he says it, the crowd knows. 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:23.559 This story is not about your piano playing a 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.600 church or your ability to organize the monthly 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:32.980 potluck. This is a story about power. This is 00:11:32.980 --> 00:11:36.100 about a system that keeps us hungry while others 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:41.740 go and build bigger barns. And let's sit with 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:46.840 the weight of that for a moment. You're a Galilean 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:51.200 farmer. You've got four kids, a small plot of 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:53.100 land. Your family has worked for generations. 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:56.899 You rise before dawn. You bend your back all 00:11:56.899 --> 00:12:02.279 day in May. Maybe. You bring in just enough grain 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:06.179 to feed your family and keep seed for next year's 00:12:06.179 --> 00:12:12.440 planting. But when the harvest comes, a man on 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:16.179 horseback rides down from Sepphoris or Jerusalem. 00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:20.759 He's got soldiers at his back and a scroll in 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:24.879 his hand. He says, the land isn't really yours 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:30.720 anymore. It's fleece and taxes are due. Tribute 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:35.559 to Caesar is due. Oh, and the tithe to the temple? 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:40.289 Rent? To the landlord, by the time everybody 00:12:40.289 --> 00:12:44.629 takes their cut first, you live staring at an 00:12:44.629 --> 00:12:50.129 empty granary. That's how a man gets five talents 00:12:50.129 --> 00:12:54.850 to throw around. That's how a master reaps where 00:12:54.850 --> 00:12:59.590 he doesn't sow. He reaps from you. He gathers 00:12:59.590 --> 00:13:03.450 from your neighbor. He bleeds villages dry until 00:13:03.450 --> 00:13:07.519 he's fat and comfortable. So when Jesus says 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.600 a master gave five talents to one servant, two 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:13.759 to another, one to another, everyone in the crowd 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:17.500 knows exactly the kind of man Jesus is talking 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:22.500 about. And it ain't God. It's the kind of man 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:26.639 you owe money to. The kind of man who holds your 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:28.700 debt in one hand and the keys to your future 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:32.519 in the other. The kind of man who walks away 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:35.179 rich while you are left standing there begging. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:42.379 That is the weight of a talent. Not silver, suffering. 00:13:43.340 --> 00:13:50.720 Not just money, but stolen memory. The master 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.820 leaves town. The first servant doesn't wait a 00:13:53.820 --> 00:13:57.799 second. He takes those five talents, an obscene 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:02.980 fortune, and goes hustling. Now think, friends, 00:14:03.259 --> 00:14:08.320 think. How do you double wealth in a world where 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:12.019 there's no stock market, no startups, no clean 00:14:12.019 --> 00:14:18.139 investments? You squeeze harder. You charge even 00:14:18.139 --> 00:14:22.419 more interest. You take more land, more grain, 00:14:22.659 --> 00:14:27.159 more olives. You bleed the poor twice as much 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:31.840 as before. And sure enough, five becomes ten. 00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:36.090 And the second servant does exactly the same 00:14:36.090 --> 00:14:39.950 thing, smaller scale, same method. Two becomes 00:14:39.950 --> 00:14:44.710 four. Both of them playing the empire's game 00:14:44.710 --> 00:14:50.370 and playing it well. And then comes the third. 00:14:51.730 --> 00:14:56.750 He takes that one talent, 20 years worth of wages, 00:14:56.970 --> 00:15:03.559 and he feels its heaviness in his hand. He looks 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:06.840 at the silver, and he sees his neighbor's empty 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:10.419 cupboard. He sees children going without bread. 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:14.100 He sees the broken backs of workers who get nothing 00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:17.259 while the coin rolled downhill into the master's 00:15:17.259 --> 00:15:22.259 lap, and he says, I won't do it. I'm not going 00:15:22.259 --> 00:15:27.659 to play this game. So he digs a hole. He buries 00:15:27.659 --> 00:15:31.659 it in the ground, packs the dirt back down, and... 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:35.379 According to Jewish law, that's not laziness, 00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:40.980 that's faithfulness. The exo -biblical text called 00:15:40.980 --> 00:15:43.220 the Mishnah, don't want to get into the Mishnah 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:45.899 tonight, but it's like commentaries on the Torah, 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.639 says the safest, most honorable way to guard 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:54.840 someone else's money was to bury it in the ground. 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:59.019 That way when it's returned, it's untouched. 00:16:00.139 --> 00:16:03.659 The third servant doesn't gamble. He doesn't 00:16:03.659 --> 00:16:08.360 exploit. He doesn't squeeze more out of the poor. 00:16:09.779 --> 00:16:17.019 He resists. After a long time, Jesus says, the 00:16:17.019 --> 00:16:20.399 master came back. The first servant struts forward. 00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:23.759 Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I've 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:27.610 made five more. And the master grins. Well done, 00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:30.090 good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy 00:16:30.090 --> 00:16:34.269 of your master. Second servant does the same, 00:16:34.429 --> 00:16:37.190 doubles it, another handshake, another blessing. 00:16:38.049 --> 00:16:41.610 Third steps forward, dirt still under his nails. 00:16:41.929 --> 00:16:46.269 His voice trembles, but his eyes are steady. 00:16:48.470 --> 00:16:55.470 And he says, Master, I knew you were a hard man. 00:16:57.009 --> 00:17:01.710 reaping where you did not sow, gathering where 00:17:01.710 --> 00:17:07.529 you did not scatter seed. So I was afraid. I 00:17:07.529 --> 00:17:09.750 went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, 00:17:09.950 --> 00:17:14.630 take back what is yours. And the master's face 00:17:14.630 --> 00:17:21.049 contorts with fury. You wicked and lazy servant. 00:17:22.369 --> 00:17:26.670 You knew, did you? You knew that I reap where 00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:30.190 I do not sow? Then you should have at least put 00:17:30.190 --> 00:17:32.109 my money with the bankers and I would have received 00:17:32.109 --> 00:17:35.809 it with interest. Take this talent from him and 00:17:35.809 --> 00:17:39.029 give it to the one with ten. Cast this worthless 00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:42.769 servant into the outer darkness where there'll 00:17:42.769 --> 00:17:47.170 be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And the crowd 00:17:47.170 --> 00:17:51.809 listening to Jesus tell this parable would have 00:17:51.809 --> 00:17:58.769 felt that silence fall. Because they know this 00:17:58.769 --> 00:18:03.490 story. They've seen neighbors cast out for not 00:18:03.490 --> 00:18:07.769 playing along. They've seen prophets shamed, 00:18:07.849 --> 00:18:13.829 rebels crucified, widows forgotten. And in their 00:18:13.829 --> 00:18:16.589 economy, in their world, they know what it costs 00:18:16.589 --> 00:18:24.779 to say no. And notice this. This is the hinge 00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:28.980 to my whole point tonight. The master in the 00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:33.019 parable never argues with the third servant's 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:38.920 accusations. He doesn't deny it. He doesn't say, 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:44.900 no, you've misunderstood me. He owns it. He accepts 00:18:44.900 --> 00:18:49.099 this description of himself as one who reaps 00:18:49.099 --> 00:18:52.250 where he did not sow. and gather where he did 00:18:52.250 --> 00:18:56.589 not scatter and write their church. It's proof 00:18:56.589 --> 00:19:00.549 that the master in this story cannot stand in 00:19:00.549 --> 00:19:08.410 for God. Parables always point us to some unchangeable, 00:19:08.410 --> 00:19:15.150 holy nature of God's character. And God cannot 00:19:15.150 --> 00:19:20.630 be described as one who cheats, exploits. and 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:26.009 steals. If the master is truly that kind of man, 00:19:26.210 --> 00:19:30.150 the bad guy, and you know what? Jesus makes it 00:19:30.150 --> 00:19:33.869 a point to make sure we see him as that kind 00:19:33.869 --> 00:19:39.289 of man. Then God cannot be the master in this 00:19:39.289 --> 00:19:44.430 parable. Which means the popular interpretation 00:19:44.430 --> 00:19:48.150 that we must join with the master in multiplying 00:19:48.150 --> 00:19:51.809 his wealth if we want to retain God's blessing 00:19:51.809 --> 00:19:59.829 simply cannot be correct. To do so would mean 00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:03.930 that this interpretation asks us to attribute 00:20:03.930 --> 00:20:11.230 injustice to God. That is not who he is. Here's 00:20:11.230 --> 00:20:14.269 the twist. The outer darkness, the place of shame, 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:18.109 exclusion, abandonment, that's where Jesus goes. 00:20:19.890 --> 00:20:23.390 He's the one who will be cast out of the city 00:20:23.390 --> 00:20:26.609 gates. He's the one who will be nailed between 00:20:26.609 --> 00:20:31.509 two thieves. He's the one who will stand with 00:20:31.509 --> 00:20:36.329 the condemned and the forgotten. So when Jesus 00:20:36.329 --> 00:20:39.029 tells us this story, he's not warning you about 00:20:39.029 --> 00:20:43.190 being unproductive. He's inviting you to see 00:20:43.190 --> 00:20:45.410 what it looks like when the kingdom really shows 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:50.529 up. Not in the counting houses with the smug 00:20:50.529 --> 00:20:52.750 servants who have doubled their master's wealth, 00:20:52.890 --> 00:20:58.109 but in the darkness with the one who has just 00:20:58.109 --> 00:21:03.190 simply refused to exploit others. The so -called 00:21:03.190 --> 00:21:06.390 wicked and lazy servant is the only one who tells 00:21:06.390 --> 00:21:12.210 the truth. You reap where you don't sow. And 00:21:12.210 --> 00:21:17.930 for that truth, he's punished. But in that punishment, 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:22.329 he also stands shoulder to shoulder with the 00:21:22.329 --> 00:21:27.980 Son of Man. Now, let's bring it home. We know 00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:30.319 this story in our bones, don't we? This isn't 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:34.180 just Galilee. This is Oklahoma. It's the family 00:21:34.180 --> 00:21:37.259 today crushed under payday loans with 400 % interest. 00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:40.940 It's the oil company leasing your land for pennies, 00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:42.720 leaving you with poisoned water and a promise 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:46.579 in cash. Single mom who has to work two jobs 00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:48.599 because the landlord keeps raising the rent. 00:21:50.740 --> 00:21:52.839 We've seen bastards who reap where they don't 00:21:52.839 --> 00:21:58.859 sow. We've seen the servants who play along, 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:02.420 who get ahead by leaning harder on the backs 00:22:02.420 --> 00:22:06.440 of the poor. And sometimes, friends, the only 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:12.279 fateful move is to bury the coin, to refuse to 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:16.619 play, to say, I will not double in your exploitation. 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:20.700 And when you make that choice, that will get 00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:24.279 you cast out. You will not be in the master's 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:28.200 good graces. You will not be invited to the banquet 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:33.200 of empire, but you also will be standing right 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:38.440 where Jesus is. So let's put our sandals back 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:41.779 on for a moment. What are you going to do with 00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:45.079 the talent you find in your hand? Will you play 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:48.220 along? Will you double the empire's wealth, keep 00:22:48.220 --> 00:22:50.599 your head down, get a pat on the back from the 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:55.619 masters of this world? Or will you bury it? Will 00:22:55.619 --> 00:22:58.660 you refuse to be complicit even if it costs you 00:22:58.660 --> 00:23:03.819 your place at the table? Because here's the gospel 00:23:03.819 --> 00:23:09.519 truth. The outer darkness isn't empty. Christ 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:12.980 is already there. He's waiting for you in the 00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:16.440 place where the castoffs land. The gnashing of 00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:21.480 teeth isn't the last word. Resurrection is. So 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:23.819 take courage, my dear friends. Don't play the 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:27.220 master's game. Bury the coin. Stand with the 00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:31.819 crucified. Walk in the dark. Because that's where 00:23:31.819 --> 00:23:36.839 the kingdom of God really breaks in. Amen? Amen. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:48.400 Thanks, guys. Friend, if this word stirred you, 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.029 rattled you, Maybe even made you feel a little 00:23:52.029 --> 00:23:55.450 uncomfortable. You know what? That's what Jesus 00:23:55.450 --> 00:23:58.950 was trying to do. The parable of the talents 00:23:58.950 --> 00:24:02.869 isn't a warm little productivity sermon. It's 00:24:02.869 --> 00:24:06.869 a warning and a promise. A warning that systems 00:24:06.869 --> 00:24:09.769 of this world will reward complicity and punish 00:24:09.769 --> 00:24:15.509 resistance. But also a promise. But the outer 00:24:15.509 --> 00:24:18.900 darkness isn't the end of the story. Because 00:24:18.900 --> 00:24:22.619 Jesus meets us there. He is the light no darkness 00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:29.039 can overcome. So as you walk back into your week, 00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:32.420 don't let the empire set your agenda. Let grace 00:24:32.420 --> 00:24:36.339 set your steps. Let courage steady your hands. 00:24:37.059 --> 00:24:39.140 And if you find yourself in the dark, remember, 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:42.960 you're not alone. The crucified Christ has already 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:44.819 gone ahead of you and resurrection is waiting 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:49.630 on the other side. Before you click away, would 00:24:49.630 --> 00:24:52.730 you do me a favor? Like, share, subscribe, drop 00:24:52.730 --> 00:24:55.349 a comment, because every interaction helps us 00:24:55.349 --> 00:24:58.569 build this front porch a little wider. It lets 00:24:58.569 --> 00:25:01.450 someone weary and worn out stumble across a word 00:25:01.450 --> 00:25:03.210 of grace they might not have heard otherwise. 00:25:04.470 --> 00:25:06.609 You're not just supporting a podcast, you're 00:25:06.609 --> 00:25:08.990 helping keep the porch light on for somebody 00:25:08.990 --> 00:25:11.930 wandering in the dark. Until next time, walk 00:25:11.930 --> 00:25:15.829 steady, bury that coin if you must, and trust 00:25:15.829 --> 00:25:19.789 that Jesus We'll meet you in the dark. That's 00:25:19.789 --> 00:25:24.049 where the kingdom comes. I'll see you next time.